# Temple of Heaven, Beijing

> The Temple of Heaven (Tiantan) is a vast walled park in southern central Beijing where emperors prayed for good harvests, crowned by the round, blue-roofed Hall of Prayer. Entry is ¥10–15, or ¥28–34 with the three main halls; book with your passport. The park opens at 6:00, the halls at 8:00, closed Mondays. Allow two hours.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/temple-of-heaven

- City: [Beijing](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing), China
- YesGo score: 52/100 (Yes, go)
- Time on site: 2 h
- Entry: ¥10–15, ¥28–34 with halls
- Opening hours: Park daily 6:00–22:00, last entry 21:00; halls Tuesday–Sunday from 8:00, last entry around 17:00–17:30; halls closed Mondays except public holidays
- With kids: Fine with kids
- Park entry: ¥15 from 1 April to 31 October, ¥10 from 1 November to 31 March
- Combo ticket: ¥34 in season, ¥28 November–March — park plus Hall of Prayer, Echo Wall and Circular Mound
- Concession: Half price; check eligibility when booking
- Children: Under 1.2 m free
- Booking: Real-name, with passport, 1–7 days ahead via the official 天坛公园 WeChat account
- Park hours: 6:00–22:00, last entry 21:00
- Halls: From 8:00, last entry 17:30; may be earlier in winter
- Halls closed: Mondays, except public holidays; the park stays open
- Payment: WeChat Pay or Alipay linked to a foreign Visa/Mastercard
- Metro: Line 5, Tiantandongmen, Exit A — East Gate; Line 8, Tianqiao, Exit C — West Gate
- Address: 1 Tiantan Road, Dongcheng District (天坛路1号)
- Coordinates: 39.88220, 116.40660
- Facts checked: 04.11.2026

## Key facts

- **1420** — built under the Ming Yongle Emperor, alongside the Forbidden City (source: Visit Beijing (official portal); English and Russian Wikipedia)
- **273 ha** — of walled parkland — larger than the Forbidden City (source: Visit Beijing (official portal); Chinese Wikipedia)
- **1998** — inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (source: English, Russian and Chinese Wikipedia)
- **38 m** — height of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia)
- **1889** — the hall burned after a lightning strike; the present building was finished in 1896 (source: Chinese and English Wikipedia)
- **28 pillars** — hold up the roof: 4 for the seasons, 12 for the months, 12 for the hours of the day (source: English and Russian Wikipedia)
- **1530** — the Circular Mound Altar was built for the winter-solstice rite (source: English, Russian and Chinese Wikipedia)
- **3 tiers** — of the Circular Mound — steps, balustrades and paving all in multiples of nine (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia)
- **360 m** — the raised Danbi causeway linking the altars (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia)
- **1918** — the imperial altars opened to the public as a park (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia)
- **Round and square** — the park wall is curved at the north (Heaven) and square at the south (Earth) (source: English Wikipedia; Visit Beijing)

## Temple of Heaven tickets: price and how to book

You need a ticket even for the park. From November to March entry is **¥10** and the combo ticket with the three main halls is **¥28**; from April to October it is ¥15 and ¥34. Half-price concessions exist, and guides say children under 1.2 m go free. Get the combo — the halls are the reason to come.

Tickets are **real-name and booked ahead**. Use the official **天坛公园** (Temple of Heaven) or 畅游公园 (Visiting Beijing Parks) WeChat account 1–7 days before your visit: pick “Passport” as the ID type and enter your name and number exactly as printed. At the gate you show the QR code and the passport itself. The Beijing government says same-day booking is possible by scanning the QR code at the entrance while the daily quota lasts — fine on a weekday, risky at weekends and on Chinese holidays.

Paying is the tricky part. The mini-program runs on **WeChat Pay**, so link a foreign Visa or Mastercard before you fly. If you can’t pay in WeChat, book through an agent such as Trip.com or Klook, or join a guided tour — your passport details are still required either way.

> **The halls are closed on Mondays** On Mondays the park opens as usual but the Hall of Prayer, the Echo Wall and the Circular Mound stay shut, except on public holidays. In some summers they open on Mondays too, but don’t count on it. Plan your visit for Tuesday to Sunday.

## Temple of Heaven opening hours

The park is open **every day from 6:00 to 22:00**, last entry 21:00, according to the Beijing government. The halls on the combo ticket open **Tuesday to Sunday from 8:00**, last entry 17:30. An older Visit Beijing page gives earlier closing times, 17:00 for the halls in winter, so from November to March reach them by 16:00.

Evening visits are a park walk only: the altars have long closed by then. The best time is the opposite end of the day — from 6:00 to 8:00, when locals practise tai chi by the East Gate before the halls open.

## How to get to the Temple of Heaven by metro

1. From Tiananmen Square, take **Line 1** from Tiananmen East two stops east to **Dongdan**.
2. Change to **Line 5** heading south: Chongwenmen, Ciqikou, then **Tiantandongmen** — about 6 minutes on the train.
3. Leave by **Exit A**, which brings you to the East Gate. Allow about 25 minutes door to door from the square.
4. Alternative from the south end of the square: **Line 8** from Qianmen two stops to **Tianqiao**, Exit C, for the West Gate.
5. From Capital Airport, the Airport Express runs to Beixinqiao, where you can change to Line 5 and ride straight down to Tiantandongmen.
6. Show your booking QR code and passport at the gate, then head north to the Hall of Prayer first.

## Is the Temple of Heaven worth it, and how long do you need?

Yes — it’s one of the two or three essential sights in Beijing and far less of a scrum than the Forbidden City. You get the most photogenic building in the city, a 600-year-old ritual layout you can read like a diagram, and, early in the morning, the liveliest slice of everyday Beijing life anywhere in the centre.

Two hours covers the three main halls at a steady walk. Arrive at 7:00 for the tai chi and the morning crowd, and make it three. If you’re short of time and have to choose, book the [Forbidden City](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/forbidden-city) first: it needs a booking further ahead and doesn’t sell tickets on the day.

## What to see at the Temple of Heaven

- **Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests** (祈年殿) — the round, triple-roofed hall on a three-tier marble terrace. You view it from the terrace through the open doors — the painted pillars are easy to see.
- **Danbi Bridge** — the 360-metre raised causeway running south from the hall; the central lane was for the emperor alone.
- **Imperial Vault of Heaven** and the **Echo Wall** around it — whisper close to the wall and, when it’s quiet, a friend can hear you on the far side.
- **Circular Mound Altar** (圜丘) — three open-air tiers of white marble. Stand on the round centre stone and speak: your voice comes back louder.
- **Seven-Star Stones** east of the hall, said to stand for the seven peaks of sacred Mount Tai.
- **The Long Corridor** by the East Gate — cards, singing, dancing and tai chi every morning.
- The **cypress groves** — centuries-old trees and the coolest shade in Beijing on a summer afternoon.

## A short history of the Temple of Heaven

The complex went up in **1420** under the Yongle Emperor, the same years as the Forbidden City. It isn’t a temple in the usual sense but a set of altars where the emperor, the “Son of Heaven”, made sacrifices and prayed for good harvests. The most important rite took place at the winter solstice on the Circular Mound.

The whole design is a statement about heaven and earth. Heaven was round and earth square, so the park wall curves at the north end and runs straight at the south; the halls are round and roofed in **deep-blue tiles**, the colour of the sky; and on the Circular Mound everything comes in nines, the number of heaven.

The 38-metre Hall of Prayer is built of wood around 28 pillars — four for the seasons, twelve for the months and twelve for the hours of the day. It burned after a lightning strike in 1889 and was rebuilt to the old design by 1896. The altars became a public park in 1918 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998.

## Before you go: checklist

- [ ] It’s not Monday — or I only want the park
- [ ] Booked in WeChat for my date, ID type “Passport”
- [ ] Original passport with me, not a copy
- [ ] WeChat Pay or Alipay works with my foreign card
- [ ] Screenshot of the QR code — signal at the gate can be weak
- [ ] 天坛公园东门 saved to show a taxi driver
- [ ] Two hours and comfortable shoes

## Temple of Heaven vs Forbidden City vs Summer Palace

|  | Temple of Heaven | Forbidden City | Summer Palace |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| What it is | Park with imperial altars | Imperial palace, the Palace Museum | Lakeside imperial park |
| Ticket, Nov–Mar | ¥10, ¥28 with halls | ¥40 | ¥20 |
| Ticket, Apr–Oct | ¥15, ¥34 with halls | ¥60 | ¥30 |
| Booking | Passport, 1–7 days ahead | Passport, no same-day sales | Passport, 1–7 days ahead |
| Mondays | Halls closed | Closed | Paid sights closed Nov–Mar |
| Opens | 6:00 | 8:30 | 6:30 in winter |

The Forbidden City is Beijing’s headline sight — book it first. The Temple of Heaven is easier to get into, cheaper and calmer, and the best early-morning stop in the centre. The Summer Palace needs its own half day in the north-west.

## Beijing’s historic sights compared

Every historic sight in Beijing rated by YesGo.

- [Tiananmen Square](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/tiananmen-square) — YesGo score 68/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free, passport booking
- [Forbidden City](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/forbidden-city) — YesGo score 61/100 (Yes, go) · 3 h 30 min · ¥40 Nov–Mar, ¥60 Apr–Oct
- [Chairman Mao Memorial Hall](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/mao-mausoleum) — YesGo score 55/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free, booking required
- [Temple of Heaven](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/temple-of-heaven) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · ¥10–15, ¥28–34 with halls
- [Great Hall of the People](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/great-hall-of-the-people) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · ¥30, students ¥15; WeChat booking
- [Tiananmen Gate](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/tiananmen-gate) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ¥15, concession ¥5, booking only
- [National Museum of China](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/national-museum-of-china) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Free, passport booking
- [Wangfujing Street](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/wangfujing-street) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free
- [Beijing hutongs](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-hutongs) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free; rickshaw about ¥100–200
- [Nanluoguxiang](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/nanluoguxiang) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free, open 24 hours
- [Houhai Lake and Shichahai](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/houhai-lake) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free
- [Jingshan Park](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/jingshan-park) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ¥2, ¥10 during exhibitions
- [Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple)](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/lama-temple) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ ¥25, booked in WeChat
- [Drum and Bell Towers](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-drum-and-bell-towers) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ¥30 for both towers
- [Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan)](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/old-summer-palace) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ¥10, ¥25 with the ruins
- [Beihai Park](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beihai-park) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ¥5–10, ¥15–20 with the island
- [Confucius Temple and Imperial Academy](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-confucius-temple) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ¥30, one ticket with the Guozijian
- [Summer Palace](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-summer-palace) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h 30 min · ¥20–30, ¥50–60 through ticket
- [Prince Gong's Mansion](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/prince-gong-mansion) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ¥40, book ahead with passport
- [798 Art Zone](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/798-art-zone) — YesGo score 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Free; some exhibitions charge
- [Great Wall at Badaling](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/badaling-great-wall) — YesGo score 27/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ¥40 entry; ¥35 November–March
- [Beijing Zoo](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-zoo) — YesGo score 26/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ¥10–15, ¥14–19 with pandas
- [Ming Tombs](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/ming-tombs) — YesGo score 23/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ¥20–40 per site, ¥30–60 in summer
- [Great Wall at Juyongguan](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/juyongguan-great-wall) — YesGo score 20/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ¥35 entry; ¥40 April–October
- [Great Wall at Mutianyu](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/great-wall-mutianyu) — YesGo score 19/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · ¥40–45 entry; cable car ¥100–140
- [Gubei Water Town and Simatai Great Wall](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/gubei-water-town) — YesGo score 16/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · ¥140 entry; ¥170 with Simatai wall

## Temple of Heaven and the centre in a day

Morning at the Temple of Heaven, then Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the view from Jingshan Park. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

1. [Temple of Heaven](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/temple-of-heaven) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · ¥10–15, ¥28–34 with halls
2. [Tiananmen Square](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/tiananmen-square) — YesGo score 68/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free, passport booking
3. [Forbidden City](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/forbidden-city) — YesGo score 61/100 (Yes, go) · 3 h 30 min · ¥40 Nov–Mar, ¥60 Apr–Oct
4. [Jingshan Park](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/jingshan-park) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ¥2, ¥10 during exhibitions

> **Get there by 7 am** The park opens at 6:00 and the halls at 8:00. That first hour is the best of the day: by the East Gate and along the Long Corridor, Beijingers do tai chi, fan-dance and play cards. No museum shows you this side of the city.

## Good to know

Tiantan means “Altar of Heaven”; at first the site honoured both heaven and earth, until a separate Altar of Earth was built in the north of the city in the 16th century. There’s no dress code — it’s a museum park, not a working temple. An audio guide or tour is optional: the halls are small and the main sights are seen from outside.

## Tips

- Enter by the **East Gate** — closest to the metro, and straight into the Long Corridor and the morning tai chi.
- Walk north to south: Hall of Prayer, Danbi Bridge, Echo Wall, Circular Mound, then out of the West Gate to Line 8.
- Book a day or two ahead: weekend and Chinese-holiday slots run out.
- Screenshot your QR code — mobile signal at the gates can be patchy.
- Google Maps is blocked in China without roaming or a VPN — save an offline map and 天坛公园东门 before you go.
- Pair it with [Tiananmen Square](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/tiananmen-square), 25 minutes away by metro; the Forbidden City needs its own booking.
- Carry water — the park is big and the altars are almost a kilometre apart.

## Questions

### How much is a Temple of Heaven ticket?

Park entry is ¥10 from November to March and ¥15 from April to October; the combo ticket with the three main halls is ¥28 or ¥34. Concessions are half price.

### Do I need to book the Temple of Heaven in advance?

Yes, ideally. Tickets are real-name and booked 1–7 days ahead in WeChat with your passport. Same-day booking by QR code at the gate works only while the quota lasts.

### How do foreigners book Temple of Heaven tickets?

In the official 天坛公园 WeChat account: choose “Passport” as the ID type, enter your details as printed and pay with WeChat Pay. Agents such as Trip.com and Klook also sell tickets.

### What are the Temple of Heaven opening hours?

The park is open daily 6:00–22:00, last entry 21:00. The halls open Tuesday to Sunday from 8:00, with last entry at 17:30 — possibly earlier in winter.

### Is the Temple of Heaven closed on Mondays?

The park is open, but the Hall of Prayer, Echo Wall and Circular Mound are closed on Mondays, except on public holidays.

### How do I get to the Temple of Heaven by metro?

Line 5 to Tiantandongmen, Exit A, for the East Gate; or Line 8 to Tianqiao, Exit C, for the West Gate. From Tiananmen, change from Line 1 to Line 5 at Dongdan.

### Which gate is best?

The East Gate: it’s next to the metro, closest to the Hall of Prayer and right by the Long Corridor, where locals gather in the morning.

### How long do you need at the Temple of Heaven?

About two hours for the main halls; three if you come early for the tai chi and wander the groves.

### Is the Temple of Heaven worth visiting?

Yes. It’s calmer and cheaper than the Forbidden City, the Hall of Prayer is Beijing’s most striking building, and early mornings show real local life.

## How we checked

Seasonal prices come from the official Visit Beijing portal; hours, the Monday closure and booking rules from the Beijing Municipal Government. Sources disagree on hours — the government says park to 22:00 and halls to 17:30, an older Visit Beijing page says park to 21:00 and halls to 17:00 in winter — so we show the first and flag winter. The government’s English page lists a “passport ticket” of ¥20, which matches Visit Beijing’s price for the halls, so we don’t use it. One article says the halls close only until 13:00 on Mondays; we found no official confirmation and say “closed”. Free entry for children under 1.2 m comes from guides and is marked checking. History facts are checked against at least two sources; the Wikipedias disagree on the hall’s diameter (36 m vs 32.72 m), so we leave it out.

## Sources

- Beijing Municipal Government, english.beijing.gov.cn — Ticketing, Parks: Temple of Heaven (prices, hours, Monday closure, passport booking, address)
- Visit Beijing (official Beijing tourism portal): Temple of Heaven Park (2022) and ticket article (2025) — seasonal prices, gates, metro exits
- Beijing Daily (news.bjd.com.cn), September 2026 — Monday closures resumed after the summer
- English, Russian and Chinese Wikipedia: Temple of Heaven, Храм Неба, 天坛; Wikidata Q125445
- English Wikipedia: Beijing Subway Lines 1, 5 and 8, Capital Airport Express; Tiantandongmen and Tianqiao stations
- Wanderin China — WeChat booking and payment for foreign visitors
- Palace Museum (intl.dpm.org.cn) — Forbidden City hours, prices and booking; Beijing Municipal Government — Summer Palace

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